140 killed by Ethiopian forces in pro-Oromo protests, says HRW

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Human Rights Watch (HRW) is reporting that Ethiopian security forces have killed at least 140 people in anti-government demonstrations since November. The protesters fear that a plan to expand the capital's administrative control into the Oromia region will displace farmers of the Oromo ethnic group. HRW also called for the release of an Oromo politician arrested last month. The government has accused Oromo protesters of being tied to terror groups. Last month, officials said five people and an unknown number of security personnel had died in the protests. Bekele Gerba, deputy chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress, was arrested on December 23. Gerba was reportedly hospitalized shortly after his arrest but his whereabouts are now unknown, raising concerns of an enforced disappearance.
(Image source: BBC)